bunq has filed for a US de novo banking license with the OCC, aiming to make life easier for global citizens and digital-native professionals who live and work between the US and Europe.
Following this announcement, the institution has built its offering around digital nomads, a globally-connected community, as they expect flexibility and control, and are currently underserved by financial systems that restrict both movement and access by design.
With this in mind, bunq aims to bring its secure digital payments, strong authentication, and AI fraud detection to the region of the US. These protections are set to support users in everyday life and during moments of heightened risk, such as international travel.
Focusing on digital nomads and global citizens with ties to both Europe and the US
According to the official press release, upon approval, bunq is expected to launch its services starting in US metropolitan areas with large expat communities, including the places where its users live, work, and move the most. At the same time, by leveraging bunq’s suite of services, users will also be able to quickly build credit scores (representing a common challenge for newly-arrived expats) through the process of accessing European financial records, in addition to having the option to open both US and European checking accounts if eligible.
Furthermore, as customers build their lives across borders, they also need access to financial services that are easy to use, secure, and efficient. With this in mind, bunq aims to provide its users with the possibility to access those products, whether they are heading to the US, coming to Europe, or moving between both regions.
This announcement follows bunq’s approval from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) to operate as a broker-dealer in the US, announced back in October 2025. Coming as the first step in bunq’s objective to provide its products in the region of the US, the approval was expected to enable the neobank to bring its US stocks offering to American customers, while also facilitating access to self-directed investing, including mutual funds and ETFs. Furthermore, the launch represented a part of a wider solution rollout in the region, as the decision to introduce these services to the market followed an increased demand from users who live, work, and invest across both Europe and the US.
